Anyone who had held a job knows the feeling; it's the middle of the workweek, routine sets in, and everything seems to move a little bit slower than usual.

So is the case for the No. 16 ranked Penn State women's gymnastics team as it has eclipsed the mid-way point of its season.

Closing in on the homestretch of the schedule, the Nittany Lions travel south of the Mason-Dixon Line to face the University of Maryland Friday night, kicking-off a string of three consecutive away meets.

The Lions have won six straight, setting new team season high scores in the last two meets against Michigan and Ohio State, respectively.

The key to continued success, according to coach Steve Shephard, is fighting possible feelings of complacency and continuing to improve on the basics.

"You always have to worry about a let down, especially during mid-season," Shephard said. It's like a Wednesday during the work week." "Even with the 196.450 last week, we still have room for improvement."

Working with a short week between meets, fatigue may become a factor as the season begins to wind down.

Finding a balance between work and rest will be a major factor determining the team's success.

"They came in on Monday and it was obvious that they were tired, both physically and emotionally," Shephard said. "Competing every weekend really takes a toll, especially for some of the freshman."

One freshman who has taken the transition in stride is Brandi Personett. Personett has been strong all season long, even scoring a 9.950 on her floor routine last weekend. Her score was the highest floor score for Penn State since the 2004 season.

Even with a near-perfect result, Personett still feels motivated to improve.

"We switched my routine around a bit to make it more consistent, so we're going to try it this weekend and see how it works," Personett said. "I'm hoping to get that 10 before the end of this season."

Senior Stephanie Sullivan will experience a bit of a homecoming as she and the rest of the squad head to Maryland on Friday. Sullivan was born in Gaithersburg, Md., about 25 miles north of the University of Maryland campus.

A consistently strong performer, especially on beam, Sullivan embraces the chance to return so close to home.

"A lot of my high school friends that I'm close with go to Maryland, so they'll be there to watch along with my family and some old coaches," Sullivan said. "I'm really excited to get back to the area." "It really means a lot."

Coach Shephard, always trying to improve his squad, pinpoints landings on vault as the key weakness he and his gymnasts must tackle.

During the week of practice, he has worked with his gymnasts to improve their landings during vault routines on a hard surface, to simulate actual meet situations.

"We're having trouble sticking our landings," Shephard said. "In order to succeed at the championship level, we're going to have to work hard and improve."

Fighting the mid-week blues is a challenge, and it can sometimes become overwhelming, but the Lions seem capable of prevailing in the conditions.

"At this point of the season, a lot of things have become routine," Sullivan said. "Right now we have a lot of positive energy and I see that carrying us all the way through nationals."